What Is Play Therapy And How Can It Help My Child?
Does your child have problems communicating with you? Maybe your child is feeling a lot of things but has trouble putting their thoughts and emotions into words. There is a time for fun and games and there is a time for processing your emotions. Luckily, play therapy can give your child both!
Play therapy is for children who have problems communicating their troubles with their parents. Play Therapy International says that 71% of children experience a positive change through play therapy. A therapist will allow your child to use toys and creativity to better express what they want to say. Your child will learn how to redirect the emotions they are feeling through play and you will understand your child better than ever before.
Knowing how play therapy can help your child will encourage you and your child to give it a chance.
Who Play Therapy is For
Play therapy is normally for young children who tend to act out or test boundaries with you. Your child may need play therapy to learn that throwing tantrums is not the way to resolve their anger. A therapist can use playing as a way to shift your child’s perspective to prevent future conflict.
This type of therapy is also good for children who have been through trauma or have lived troubled lives. These scenarios where children have lost their innocence at a young age can make it challenging for them to process emotions. Having your children play in the company of a therapist will allow them to see what areas of play work for them.
How Play Therapy Works
Children are not able to communicate their emotions the way adults can. As a parent, you can easily misinterpret or miss your child’s body language cues. Toys become symbols to what your child is feeling. As your child plays these toys with their therapist, they will feel less guarded and more likely to share their feelings.
First, a therapist may want to observe your child as they play and then conduct separate interviews with your child and you. A therapist may see how your child can handle separation from you, playing alone, and their reactions when you come back to the room. The way that each child plays will determine what the next steps in your child’s healing process will be.
Approaches
There are two approaches in play therapy. The direct approach is when your child’s therapist will pick which toys or games will be used in the session. Then, the therapist will guide your child with a specific goal in mind.
There is also the nondirective approach where your child will be the one picking what toys and games to play with. As your child plays however they want, their therapist jut simply observes.
Examples
There are a number of ways that play therapy works. For example, a therapist may give your child a dollhouse to act out the problems your child is having at home. Your child can also use hand puppets as an outlet for their feelings.
Your child may also be asked to talk about their distressing memories in the form of a story or to read a story with a similar situation. Even their therapist asking your child questions as they draw is a form of this therapy.
Play therapy can be a fun way for your children to receive help while behaving as children through play. Their feelings will eventually unfold with the help of therapy like this. If your children are dealing with problems that are too hard to handle, get connected to a mental health professional.
Balance Counseling offers Child Counseling, contact us today.
